Friends and Lovers Read Online Free PDF

didn’t know what to do. She was beyond confused, suspended between longing and outright panic.
    “Two,” he told the hostess over Lauren’s head.
    She led them to a table by the windows and they sat facing each other. They both picked up a menu and read silently.
    Wes finally glanced up. “Sherry misses you.” He shut his menu and set it aside.
    “I miss her too,” Lauren admitted sadly, closing her own.
    “I won’t pry,” he said, tipping his head thoughtfully, “even though I’m curious as hell. Just know this—she’ll take your call, no questions asked.”
    “I’ll call her.”
    “Good. Then I won’t push anymore.”
    “Thank you.”
    A server stopped over. “What can I start you with?”
    “Lauren?” said Wes.
    “I’d love a double mocha.”
    “And you, sir?”
    Wes’s eyebrow rose as he appeared to reconsider his order but then he relaxed back in his chair and shook his head. “Nope, I’ll stick with my first choice—caramel latte.”
    “I’ll be back.” The server gathered up their menus and left.
    “Mmm, I love caramel,” Lauren said wistfully.
    “And I love chocolate. How about sharing a taste back and forth? Not afraid of my germs, I hope.”
    Lauren laughed nervously, her heart pumping at the idea. “Hardly, I stopped thinking boys had cooties in the tenth grade.”
    He looked shocked. “It took you that long?”
    Lauren blushed. “Well, how old were you when girls stopped being toxic?”
    He thought about it for a second and grinned. “Kindergarten. I kissed Maggie Foster just before snack time.”
    Figures. “Why am I not surprised?”
    “Beats me.” The smile he gave her was sinfully sexy.
    Lauren’s next question begged to be asked, but it wasn’t easy because the answer had the potential to hurt. “So, are you seeing anyone?”
    “No. You?”
    “No,” she said, relieved to have that topic out of the way.
    “Why not?” he asked.
    “Why aren’t I seeing anyone?”
    He nodded.
    “A lot of reasons I suppose.” She sighed. “I was living with someone, Keith, when Sarah and Will were killed and I just turned on him. I couldn’t stop myself. He didn’t deserve it, but I needed to lash out and he was convenient. I held him accountable for all the shitty things men do. I tarred him with the same brush because I was furious, bitter, and in pain. He tried to be understanding at first, but it’s pretty tough when the person you want to help is going for your jugular all the time.”
    “That is tough.”
    “Yeah.”
    “Did you love him?”
    It was difficult to look at Wes and answer this question knowing he was the other major wedge in the relationship. “No,” she finally admitted. “I wanted to. I hoped I would grow to love him because we were comfortable together, but life doesn’t always follow the script we’d like it to follow.” She gave him a wistful smile, more than ready to shift the topic back to him. “I just can’t get over it. You’re a cop. How did that happen?”
    Wes chuckled. “Like you said, life happened.”
    “Go on.”
    He exhaled a deep breath. “Just into my junior year of college a good friend of mine was raped off campus.”
    Lauren’s face fell and he nodded.
    “It really forces you to grow up. I was pretty cocky, taking my personal safety for granted. I was ignorant.” She could see the sadness and regret on his face. “Unbelievably innocent. I suppose we all were. But the attack was a sobering reality check. Oddly enough, it gave me something to focus on. I was floundering at the time, still not exactly thrilled with my major. After her rape, I switched to law enforcement.”
    “Is she the reason you teach self-defense?”
    “An ounce of prevention.”
    She returned his smile. “I like that. Are you still in touch with her?”
    “We touch base a few times a year. She counsels other women now.”
    “I’m not surprised. Some of the best counselors are the ones who have direct experience to draw from. She must be a